Spinal corselet



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

ALANSON ABBE, OF BOSTON. MASSACHUSETTS.

SPINAL CORSELET.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 17,356, dated May 26, 1857.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALaNsoN ABBE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an iniproved corselet for the alleviation and cure of spinal distortions or deformities of the human trunk; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l, exhibits a back view of my improved corselet. Fig. 2, an inner or skeleton view of its arrangement of springs.

The corselet is made very much like a lady`s corset, except that in the back portion, A, springs are arranged as shown in Fig. 2. that is springs constructed of wire bent in a serpentine or other proper form extending laterally and longitudinally through the said back portion of the corselet as shown at a., o, and b, they being connected to a wire framing, c', formed as shown in the drawings and extended around the edge .or boundary of the said back portion. The spinal springs a, a., are bent laterally, in reverse of the curve of distortion of the spine, and they are united to lateral and border springs disposed as shown at Z), c, (Z.

IVhen this corselet is applied to the body of a person and laced thereon, its springs giving away under the lacing operation, will be strained up so as to produce a constant strain on the muscles of the back in such manner as to act against and so as to straighten or tend to straighten the curved parts of the spine. Besides this the springs allow of any natural motion of the body, and thus while performing the function of alleviating or curing the distortion, they do not operate so as to prevent the body from being bent as circumstances may require.

By making each spring of wire bent in a serpentine form as seen in the drawing (or in a form equivalent thereto) the spring is capable of being moved in any direction.

In the drawings, B, C, show the abdominal and chest portions of the corselet, they being connected to the back portion by elasltic bands, E,

F, and G, are the shoulder straps. llVhen the springs are constructed and arranged in the dorsal part of the corselet as described they may be covered on opposite sides by a covering formed of interlaced bands of web bing or other material, the same having the necessary flexibility to allow the springs to act.' By constructing the spinal spring with curves, the reverse of those of the distortion, the corselet, when applied to the back and laced on the body of a patient, will so adjust itself to the hip and back, as to cause the springs to operate in a manner tending to straighten the spine or remove its deflections from its normal position.

I am aware that corselets have been made with mechanism for straightening the spine, such mechanism consisting of rigid metal frames or back bars hinged together and providedl with contrivances by which their angular positions may be adjusted as circumstances may require. Such corselets are generally very uncomfortable to the wearer they prevent more or less of the natural lmovement of the body, and do not act on all the curves, nor continuously on those they do act upon.

IVith my improved corselet, a slight and steady strain is brought upon the muscles in such manner as to aid or give strength to those which are weakened, as well as elongate those that are contracted and do not interfere with any desirable or natural movement of the body.

IVhat I claim is- My improved manufacture of corselet for the cure of spinal deflect-ions, the same being made with counteracting springs constructed and arranged laterally and longitudinally in the back portion thereof, subst-antially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature.

ALANSON ABB.

Witnesses R.. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

